KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Bursa Malaysia, which was in a positive uptrend for most part of the day, closed higher today, driven by gains in most blue-chip finance stocks and selective heavyweights.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) ended at 1,642.29, up 4.89 points, from yesterday’s close of 1,637.40.
After opening 2.78 points easier at 1,634.62, the index moved in a 8.91-point range, hitting an intraday high of 1,643.45 and an intraday low of 1,634.54.
Maybank, which is the index’s most heavily weighted counter ended at RM9.25, up 11 sen, due to better interest, as the duration for Hyflux Ltd to make payment on its term-loan facilities based on the bank’s letter of demand expired today.
Other bank counters that lifted the composite index included CIMB Group, which added seven sen to RM5.27, Hong Leong Financial improved 18 sen to RM19.22 and RHB gained six sen to RM5.96
Among heavyweights, TNB rose eight sen to RM12.28, while Petronas Chemicals was flat at RM9.00 and Public Bank eased six sen to RM22.50.
Of the actively-traded stocks, Bumi Armada and KNM were flat at 23.5 sen and 21.5 sen, respectively, while Ekovest fell 1.5 sen to 88 sen.
For the gainers, Panasonic rose 22 sen to RM37.82, F&N added 18 sen to RM34.90 and MISC increased 10 sen to RM6.90.
Market breadth, however, remained negative with losers leading gainers 473 to 326, with 410 counters unchanged, 694 untraded and 51 others suspended.
Turnover stood at 2.36 billion shares worth RM2.25 billion.
The FBM Emas Index was 20.18 points better at 11,652.84, the FBMT 100 increased 22.23 points to 11,469.25 but the FBM 70 down 19.73 points to 14,578.81.
The FBM Emas Shariah Index was 10.34 points higher at 11,837.05 but the FBM Ace Index fell 26.39 points to 4,642.70.
Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index went up 75.33 points to 16,962.70, the Plantation Index rose 6.63 points to 7,280.67 while the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.15 of-a-point to 169.93.
Main Market volume shrank to 1.73 billion shares valued at RM2.11 billion against 1.85 billion shares valued at RM1.49 billion yesterday.
Warrants turnover decreased to 309.16 million units worth RM74.44 million from 386.87 million units worth RM95.53 million.
Volume on the ACE Market improved to 323.97 million shares valued at RM66.48 million versus 284.84 million shares valued at RM47.45 million previously.
Consumer products and services accounted for 250.96 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products and services (380.92 million), construction (185.61 million), technology (86.33 million), SPAC (nil), financial services (64.09 million), property (189.65 million), plantation (34.62 million), REITs (9.31 million), closed/fund (63,000), energy (395.65 million), healthcare (28.57 million), telecommunications and media (36.18 million), transportation and logistics (24.11 million), and utilities (42.99 million). — Bernama
